Combination lock



Sept. 6, 1932. F. c. BISHOP 1,876,132'

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Oct. 18, 1927 AcDEFef/IJ Patented Sept. 61932. j 1 l 1,875,132

UfNrTI-:Bf-sTATEsrfP AIENIggoFFIC E. l

' FRANCIS.fcARTEmrfBIsrron or lminctrcr'-m; --Iivnm A n Co:n(iialariwr'irN 1.00K l Applicationl .mea f-octobertisf 11.927,1 xsane-i .iN0f..:-.122e,941;-,;ana-, inA emissie-India september' 1, ,Y 1927.

rlhis invention-relates `tofloeksandhasffor to permitthe llock te di'sen'gage to yen'ablethe, its object-to' .previde awcombinationrfleclrfsef .boXlid. er door :to op'emand wherein if the the kind which has a number of press knobs,-:fullean'd:v propeneomplement Lof correct press butte'nsforthe `like.operatie-g.and eohtrollingf; buttons or the equivalent is not operated, or

niembersfefvwhiehfa certain :combination-.l` -if anyiincorreetbutton. or equivalent is Op- *55 must be operatedinfagsuitablefmanner in .orenn eratedthe:lockv Will net be disengaged. 5. Y der toi'reefthe. lockandwhielnisso--arranged;-; Th'invention is furthereharacterized by.y e 'that .ifi other Vthan.r the `v.ri-fjlfht,.Cbmbinatieny is .having a-;latehbar :and connections between operatedatheloclrwizillnotbeiireed; Saidlteh,barandechfor any ftlieloclring.

10 I':=.^'ll`he main object f the inventionisfto-pr-p1 bolts'o'r pieces operable bythe saidbperating. VLgf videcombina-tien@lookin-g V{fr'nechanism..Ff means, sothatthe `said latch bar Vmay be op- Whc'hfis. applicable-mainly. to s'the ,f doors .oi`..-eratedtthrew all .or any. desired number of houses .butWhich--mayalso`be-appliedto the; the LoekiIiggrfboltsfor pieces out of operation doors-iofrcupboards, boxes, attach-.easeslbrf/SQ as to free or partially free the locking.'` etherfreceptaelesWhichwis capable of;being-vbblts. ...Y v so arranged that it Will operi -Whenthepara... Y It alsdineludesa combination lock having tisular veombinationte which; it is set 4is op# j a latch bar vor releasing means as described erated, but ,Which-.can also'ibe lreleasedfso that;fliaborewso` arranged that the said-release may.- s when desired, the'lecik mayibe -o-penedr-Withfbe Operatedand may then be-xed when de-Y out the necessity of operating.thesaicheemffl siredlto holdthe,lockingbolts free., 7e binatien., .or, alternatively;without-.having Thesaidfc'fombinatien lockm'ay,` whenap; e te operate the Whole m. the combina-tien. plied treceptaeleand the said receptacle It is an observed.fact-.that.eembination" is unlocked;ando`pened..have its latch bar locks are mechanismsv Which-,fare smoste-,atm set and `liX'ed to Vhold the locking bolts in retractivewhen newer' untilthe novelty Weanse, `leasedfpesitiorisb that the said receptacle may "75 e 0ii,butthat.after',using-'Suchv a, lock-.for ..be p'enedbr Closed without needing t0 Op-- few- Weeks-the fpossesserwiindsffit irksome; to` `erate the eembination.

have-to4 operate thel meehanismeach-time-hee-.;'Whei1 applied tofthesecuriiig of a door7 J, Y

Wishes to open the doortor reeeptaelef-fwh-iehfsuch as*V the door of af house, which may be the leclrffastensx This-is more 1particular-lyn openedirem ,either side7V the combination-so the easeeufhenthe receptacle-is.emptygr does ,Glock may.be',.0perable,from one side (theout-V DO -COHl-IllmyObjCSfO-Yalu--OB O--lprig '-Sidebnly but (the latch bar be operable from. vate.'naturesi In fsuch.-y cireumstaneesnit fis zthe insidelefethe door.V .Alternativelyiin suh Verydesirable yto dispenseswithlthe .trouble @a easeA .the latichvbalr 'mayf be Toperable.` from 'entailedinoperating the .combinatien.,Tlie. both thens'ide aridsthe outside of thedoor. .lss

present invention.proyidesesuchia combina-In the latter' case theflateh bar may be pro! tion leek-Which-is previdedrwithna-zlatchvbari-Nided with a holtv or catch Whieh` can be'op-.e adapted to eperateall.,ergpart ofthe;locking-1gerated,-` for example from the/inside of the"V means thus to l'avoidfthe necessitysnf iepersHdodrvonly-to preventthe latehba'r from be` 40 atingvthesevmeansin allfeasesm Y With these and otherfiob-jectsfin View thelecki-ngibelts. Y Y invention-consists{o-.a combination*flockffor:.-f The filnventien 'fruit-'her includes a combi-Ff' a 'box lidydrawen dooror the lifkebf a.knd.1 fnati=on lock, Within.. latch hay as described,

ing operated from thebutside `to release the '49e in which a. plurality..Graduating members aboxzei-inlwhiehs thelatchbarisadapted;when.;v i: Y `s`ueh as press buttenslor eqiuValeritmea-nseare. mmgedsjnedifecfomt@ movevall Orgeptan Y95 provided .all ofV Wliich maynbe :depressed/essential eithelocki-nglbolts out of 1oclring;,fpushed in er suitably manipulated in an:atene-positionsbntuwhieh Wheunet se movedwill` Y tempt te releasewthe :loclryandfin which it; allow-fieffthe locking-bolts beingioperatedibyrf-f' :soi:v

En their; e equivalents, @to Vtbe eperated in order;

hatrthe doormay be opened fromfthe outside `1110l i..

by the proper working of the lock freeing combination mechanism irrespective of whether the latch bar is free or is engaged by a catch or bolt.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, by way of illustration only, certain forms which the apparatus may take7 which forms are not however to be taken in any Way limitative of the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a cross section through the loclr as applied to a box lid or ldrawer--the parts being shown with the moving part of the locl; in their open position. This figure shows a section through a locking bolt and illustrates the mechanism without the latch bar fitted thereto;

Fig. 2 is a similar section to the last but taken through a dummy bolt and its controlling press button;

Fig. 3 is al cross section similar to Fig. l of the parts in the completely closed and locked position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on line A A of Fig. 3 showing the normal position of a ten-part combination lock in locked position;

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the said lock when operated in a correct manner to free the same Fig. 6 is a similar diagram showing the Same lock with the same combination but operated in an improper manner and hence with the locking mechanism still not free;

Fig. 7 is another view in cross-section of the inner or bolt carrying part showing the latch bar (in raised position) Fig. 8 is a similar view with the latch bar in its normal position in which it does not in any way affect the operation. In this case the press knob opposite the section in question is supposed to be depressed;

Fig. 9 shows a view of a means for operating the latch bar by turning on operating handle;

Fig. l0 shows' a view at right angles to theA last in which the latch bar lifting spindle is fitted with a coned cam to enter the proper space therefor; and

Fig. 11 shows a cross section of a combination lock of this general form applied to say the front door of a house.

Referring now to Figs. l. to 4. The fixed part of the drawer or body of the box is indicated by l and the moving part of the drawer or lid of the box by'2. The fixed part l has an aperture or series of apertures or a suitable groove 3 therein for the lock operating mechanism and the moving part 2 a similar or corresponding aperture, apertures or groove 4 for the corresponding partsof the mechanism. i

The groove or the like 3 has a series of press buttons or the equivalents 5 therein.

Into these press buttons the short body pieces 6 or the long body pieces 6a may be screwed or otherwise attached. As the apertures 3 or 4 will for convenience be rectangular, or have means to prevent the body pieces rotating therein, it will generally be found convenient to screw the press buttons thereon.

When assembled the feathers or ribs 7 prevent the body pieces 6, 6a from being removed from the lock by movement to the right. rI`he caps 8 which may be screwed onto or attached to the press buttons 5 will prevent the said parts being pressed in too far as the inner edges of these caps also then will engage the said feathers7 ribs or pierced partition member 7. .Y

Incidentally a pierced partition as indicated at 40 in Figure 3 with holes therein closely to fit the press buttons and to act as a `uide for the press buttons will be found more convenient than simple ribs 7. Springs 4l may normally hold the press buttons in their extended positions.

When the press button concerned is one which normally lies opposite to a locking bolt it is fitted to a short normal position the end 9 of such body piece is depressed by a distance behind the rear face l0 of the part 1.

rEhe distance w is the distance each of the parts is adapted to move in operation. It

is the distance by which the locking bolt ll is intended normally to enter the rear part of the aperture or the like 3 in order to lock the parts. y

In normal conditions when the lid or door is completely closed the ends l2 of the locking bolts 1l enter the apertures or'the like 3 in the part l by an amount fr, and lock the parts together until the corresponding press buttons 5 are depressed by the said amount m thus freeing the lock. Y

Vhen however the press button is one which lies opposite to a dummy bolt it is fitted with along body piece 6a the rear end 9a of which normally is practically iiush with the rear surface l0. The said long body piece 6a is longer than a short body piece 6 by the amount 10. If then the press button indicated in Fig. 2 with a long body piece 6a is depressed the end of this body piece protrudes beyond the surface l0 as shown dotted in this figure and may enter the corresponding aperture, groove or depression 4 in the part 2 of the part 2 and'when the lid,v drawer or the not be freed. The buttons .A,D, F and like is in closed position the 'said end 12a is in intimate contact with the corresponding end 9a of the .long body piece under the action of a spring 17 The. locking bolts 11 or dummy bolts 11a are provided with screwed stems'lft` which screw into hollow Sleeves 15. A rib, feather or, if preferred, a pierced platel prevents the bolts 11 or 11a from being pressed in too far.

The sleeve 15 may have a flange 15a against which one end of the spring 17 presses. The further end of said spring 17 .-abu'ts a back plate 18.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the end of the locking bolt 11 has entered the recess 3 and the lock is not free. The lspring 17 is pressing the bolt 11 into the recess 3 and i'nto intimate end `contact with the short body piece 6. Y y

Referring now to Fig. 4 it will be seen that a loclr having ten parts is shown. The ten press buttons are indicated as letters A to J. Of these the press buttons B, C, E, G, I

"- and J are the correct buttons to push Ato free the lock as they are opposite to projecting bolts 1,1, 11, which engage their side of the door. Now, unless all six press buttons are duly pressed and held down the lockin will are opposite to dummy bolts. If any of these four buttons is Ipressed the end of the long body piece carried by the button lwill enter the corresponding recess 4 and will prevent the freeing of the lock. Y

Y Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically the lock with the proper buttons B, C, E, G, I and J depressed Vandthe bolts are all freed.

Fig. 6 shows ldiaorammatically the lock with buttons A, C, G and H pressed in. It will be seen that locking bolts opposite to B, I and J still engage whilst the` long body pieces opposite A and H, which are improper buttons to press, have been made t0 protrude and also now prevent the freeing of the lock. Y

4On examining the Figures 1 'and Q it will be apparent that the locking bol't 11 and the long body piece 6a may be made of exactly similar construction and be interchangeable.

Also the dummy bolt 11a and the short body piece 6 may alsobe exactly be interchangeable. Y

The parts 6 6a, 11 and '11a are best made rectangular in cross section so that they will similar and also not turn vin their recesses or grooves 3 or 4. Y

It is desirable that 'they should not turn because one ofthe surfaces should be bevelled. In Fig. 1 the lower corner 36 of bolt 11 is bevelled olf so that as the part '2 moves down to take up the fully closed position of I the box the said bevel 36 shall strike the corner 37 and the part 11 be forced back into its recess 4 against the resistance of its 'spring 17 to snap out again when it comes opposite to the recess 3 and to thus secure the lock automatically.

The upper corn-er 39 of the short body piece 6 is similarly bevelled so that if by any chance the end of this piece projected out from the inner surface 10 of the part 1 it would be forced back by contact with the corner 38. Only a slight bevel of the corner 39 is .however needed as from its construction it cannot project to any extent.

In a similar manner and for analogous purposes the corners of 11a' andv 6a Vare bevelled.

In assembling-assuming that the parts 11, 11a, 6, 6a are square or rectangular in section, they are placed in their appropriate recesses and the sleeves 15 or th-e press button Shanks 5 are screwed on. To facilitate this the back endsl of the sleeves 15 and the front ends of the parts 5 may have a slot for aA screw .driver made therein.

These parts 15 and 5 may lconveniently be cylindrical in shape and closely lit the holes in the ribs or partitionsV 16 and 7 re- `spectively.

The front ends of the parts 51nay be coveredby press lbutton caps. 8 screwed on. These caps prevent the press buttons being pressed right through into the interior of the box. If desired lsprings 41 (see Fig. 3) may be introducedV between the parts 7 and the inner edges 8a of these caps to hold the press buttons in desired positions.

To alter the combination the back plate 18 is unscrewed, the springs 17 taken out and the sleeves 15 unscrewed .thus liberating' the parts 11 or 11a. At the same time the caps 8 may be unscrewed and `the 'press buttons 5 then unscrewed from 'the parts 6 or 6a. Any proper rearrangement of the elements may'then be made.

Figs. 7 and 11 show the essential features of theinvention comprising the combination of `lock-ing means together with releasing means, such' as a-latch bar, and connecting means between the releasing means and theV locking means so adapted that the releasing means may be operated to release any d-esired portion of the locking means withoutthe necessity of having to operate the said locking means individually.

7 .shows the invention applied to a door 'and in which the latch-bar 19l is illus- 24. A worm or bevelled surface on the spindle 22 engages the latch bar 19 and on being rotated raises it as shown in Fig. 7.

It will be observed that the back plate 18 and the latch bar are both pierced for the pas sage therethrough of the shank of the screw 20. As indicated in Fig. 8 the locking mechanism may be freed by operating the proper push buttons without affecting the latch bar 19.

Figs. 9 and 10 indicate one manner in which a latch operating handle may be fitted which, passing through a door, may be used 4.to lift the latch bar from the outside of the door.

In this arrangement the back plate 18 is depressed or has a recess 26 formed therein opposite the latch operating spindle. The latch bar 19 is raised or kinked at this point, for example as indicated at 27. The latch operating spindle 28 has an eccentric part or a cam 29 fitted to its inner end and the inner surfaces of the depressions 26 and 2'? are so formed that th-e said eccentric projection when the latch bar is not raised normally will lie in the depression formed by depression 26 Whilst when the spindle 28 is rotated the cam surfaces will coact with the inner surface of part 27 to cause the latch bar to risc.

To normally hold the spindle 28 with its i projection 29 in such a position that the latch bar is not raised the handle 31 may be a heavy handle so fixed and balanced as to cause the eccentric part automatically to take upthe position shown in Figs. 9 and 10 when re- '1 leased.

lt is of course necessary to be very sure that the latch spindle and the eccentric 29 shall not become stuck in an improper position and to assist this the eccentric part 29 may be bevellcd as indicated at 8O if it is intended to move relatively to the latch bar 19-27.

Fig. 11 shows the combination lock applied to a door. The part carrying the press buttons is in this case fitted to the door jamb 32 and a suitable recess 83 is provided to enable the fingers to be inserted to operate the press buttons.

The rear portion 84: of the lock is in this case suitably formed as a projection from the back or inside of the door in which projection or bracket 36 one half of the locking mechanism and a latch lifting and securing means may be fitted.

This latch lifting and securing means is illustrated in Fig. 11 which shows a handle fitted to the inner end of the latch bar lifting spindle 28 (such for example as shown more clearly in Figs. 9 and 10) which when turned in one direction will raise the latch bar 19 for example as in Figures 9 and 10-but which when turned in the other direction will lower the latch bar into the position shown. The knob 85 may be attached to the same spindle 28 as the latch operating handle V31 and its automatic return to the'nonraising position of the latch bar be controlled by the weight of the said handle 31. In such a ease a separate bolt or catch l2 may be fitted to, say, the part 34E to prevent the lifting of the latch bar when the inmates of the house wish to make entrance impossible without operating the correct lock freeing combination. Means may be yprovided whereby some only of the bolts are released by the latch bar. This may readily be effected by inserting screws 20 into the bolts which are to be released and omitting these screws in other positions.

rlhe latch bar might thus be utilized to simplify the combination and to throw certain of the bolts outv of action thereby enabling the lock to be operated using fewer linlgers when the latch bar had been lifted and fixed in lifted position than when the latch bar was not so lifted.

1t will of course be understood that the scope of the invention is not by any means limited to the constructional features described or illustrated. No two lock designers would supply similar details, and the scope is intended to include all reasonable modifications. The details of the parts could be altered considerably.

It will of course be understood that the press buttons or the combination operating means may be on either the moving part'or on the fixed part of the door or of the door jamb or either on the body or on the lid of the box or the like and the scope of the invention and the accompanying claim are to be understood to cover all such modifications.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be per formed@ declare that what I claim 'is ln a combination lock, a plurality of locking members,'some of which are normally in locking position while the others are normally in open position, all said locking members having spring` devices to return them when disengaged to their normal positions, a plurality of operating` devices for said locking members, a releasing means to engage said locking members, said releasing means pro.- jecting from boti sides of the combination lock and means connecting the releasing` means to the locking members normally in closing position for releasing said locking members without actuation of said operating devices, and means to return the said locking members automatically to locking position when disengaged by the releasing means.

ln testimony whereof l hereto affix my signature this sixteenth day of September, 1927.

FRANGS CARTERET BSHP. 

